May 1, 2009
I REFER to yesterday's report, 'Singapore geared up to fight swine flu'.
The Health Ministry's first press conference on Wednesday was indeed an eye opener for many of us in understanding how insidious this disease can be.
I applaud the Government for its proactive preparedness.
As the World Health Organisation has raised this flu alert to phase five out of six, which means a pandemic is imminent, I strongly suggest that all vessels coming from Mexico to our ports be quarantined and crew and passengers be allowed onshore only after the quarantine period.
In addition, the authorities should consider measures such as reducing the number of human exit and entry points, and introducing thermal scans at strategic land checkpoints.
This flu outbreak will be a long drawn-out affair. Therefore, the authorities should get the cooperation of the shipping community and its agents to fight and contain this highly contagious disease.
Raymond Lo
[Why only ports and land checkpoints? What about airports? With an incubation period of a few days to over a week, any crewman on a ship would have symptoms by the time the ship from Mexico docks in Singapore. The sea journey would already be the quarantine period. What have you got against the shipping industry?
And why reduce entry points at land checkpoints? That would just concentrate all the entries to a few points. How would that help? If in fact one of the traveller were infected, concentrating all the other travellers with that one infected person would increase the potential infection.
A quarantine would only be necessary for air travellers who have visited countries with flu cases. The same applies to land checkpoints but assuming M'sia also has a quarantine for the same, a second quarantine would only be necessary if M'sia has confirmed flu cases as well.
All in thank you for panicking and your stupid suggestions. ]
I REFER to yesterday's report, 'Singapore geared up to fight swine flu'.
The Health Ministry's first press conference on Wednesday was indeed an eye opener for many of us in understanding how insidious this disease can be.
I applaud the Government for its proactive preparedness.
As the World Health Organisation has raised this flu alert to phase five out of six, which means a pandemic is imminent, I strongly suggest that all vessels coming from Mexico to our ports be quarantined and crew and passengers be allowed onshore only after the quarantine period.
In addition, the authorities should consider measures such as reducing the number of human exit and entry points, and introducing thermal scans at strategic land checkpoints.
This flu outbreak will be a long drawn-out affair. Therefore, the authorities should get the cooperation of the shipping community and its agents to fight and contain this highly contagious disease.
Raymond Lo
[Why only ports and land checkpoints? What about airports? With an incubation period of a few days to over a week, any crewman on a ship would have symptoms by the time the ship from Mexico docks in Singapore. The sea journey would already be the quarantine period. What have you got against the shipping industry?
And why reduce entry points at land checkpoints? That would just concentrate all the entries to a few points. How would that help? If in fact one of the traveller were infected, concentrating all the other travellers with that one infected person would increase the potential infection.
A quarantine would only be necessary for air travellers who have visited countries with flu cases. The same applies to land checkpoints but assuming M'sia also has a quarantine for the same, a second quarantine would only be necessary if M'sia has confirmed flu cases as well.
All in thank you for panicking and your stupid suggestions. ]
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